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Nigeria Premier League
The Nigeria Professional Football League, formerly known as the "Nigeria Premier League" as of the 2015/2016 season is the highest level of Nigerian football. It is fed into by the Nigeria National League (NNL). It is organized by the League Management Company. On May 2013, Nigerian telecommunications company Globacom signed a three-year contract with the league to become its title sponsor. Thus the league was officially known as the Glo Premier League at that time. In 2012 the NPL was ranked as the best in Africa and 24th best in the world by the IFFHS, the rating puts it a spot above the Scottish Premier League for the year. On the 27th of April 2016, The Liga de Fútbol Profesional (LFP) organizers of the La Liga sealed a five-year memorandum of understanding deal with the NPFL on capacity building and idea exchange signed by the League Management Company chairman, Shehu Dikko and the La Liga President Javier Tebas. The NPFL and La Liga partnership has already started bearing fruit as during the January transfer window, Super Eagles fringe player Ezekiel Bassey was signed on loan from Enyimba to Barcelona B on a six-month deal with an option of 3-years come end of the season based on performance. The NPFL AllStars (made up of the league's best players) have also been playing Pre-Season as well as Winter break friendlies with top flight Spanish sides like Atletico Madrid, Malaga, Valencia, Villareal etc. In an effort to expose and test Local players against top players and sides. History The league was founded in 1972 with six teams. On Saturday 12 May 1990 at the Onikan Stadium Lagos, the league was rechristened the "Professional League" with a goal to modernize the game and make clubs self-sufficient. Decrees 10 and 11 which codified the introduction of professional football in Nigeria stipulated that professional clubs should be run as limited liability companies each governed by a regularly constituted board of directors and required to hold annual general meetings, present independently audited accounts, cultivate youth/feeder teams and own their own stadium within five years of registration with the Pro League Department. To assist Pro League clubs in the timely achievement of these stated goals, all 56 professional club-sides that constituted the inaugural Pro League First and Second Division were granted a five-year tax moratorium on all income starting from 1990. From 1999-2007, there was an end of season Championship called the "Super Four". The top four teams would play a round robin mini-league at a neutral site to determine the league champion. The Super Four is now a pre-season tournament featuring the top four teams of the prior year. After the 2006 competition, the league changed its calendar to more closely match the common European regular season structure (starting around August and ending around May). The Premier League is managed by the Nigeria Professional League Board. 2016/2017 season The 2016/2017 season is the 46th season of top flight football in Nigeria and the 27th season since the league turned professional with last season's champions Enugu Rangers, Rivers United, Wikki Tourists and Federation Cup winners FC Ifeanyi Ubah representing the league at the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup. On February 24, 2017, during a match day 10 fixture between MFM FC and reigning champions Enugu Rangers, at the Agege Stadium, Lagos fans as well as neutrals were treated to a "miraculous" goal as a loose ball from Rangers midfielder Chinedu Udeagha, was pounced on by MFM's left back Julius Emiloju who prodded the ball forward to diminutive midfield maestro Chukwuka Onuwa who found space, lobbed the ball to Stephen Odey who then flicked the ball to Sikiru Olatunbosun who with the presence of mind, flicked it above onrushing defender Etim Matthew and with a 180-degree turn at the edge of the 20-yard box, he unleashed a left-foot drive past the Rangers goalie, sending fans at the "Temple of Soccer" wild. The goal has since gone viral on social media and won the CNN 'Goal of the week' in the process with 82% votes of the 6,647 votes cast, beating off competition from AS Roma's Radja Nainggolan 11%, Youri Tielemans of Anderlecht 6% and Joey Jones of Woking FC 1%. Winners *1972 : Mighty Jets (Jos) *1973 : Bendel Insurance FC (Benin City) *1974 : Rangers International (Enugu) *1975 : Rangers International (Enugu) *1976 : Shooting Stars FC (Ibadan) *1977 : Rangers International (Enugu) *1978 : Racca Rovers (Kano) *1979 : Bendel Insurance FC (Benin City) *1980 : Shooting Stars FC (Ibadan) *1981 : Rangers International (Enugu) *1982 : Rangers International (Enugu) *1983 : Shooting Stars FC (Ibadan) *1984 : Rangers International (Enugu) *1985 : New Nigeria Bank (Benin City) *1986 : Leventis United (Ibadan) *1987 : Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri) *1988 : Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri) *1989 : Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri) *1990 : Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri) *1991 : Julius Berger (Lagos) *1992 : Stationery Stores (Lagos) *1993 : Iwuanyanwu Nationale (Owerri) *1994 : BCC Lions (Gboko) *1995 : Shooting Stars FC (Ibadan) *1996 : Udoji United (Awka) *1997 : Eagle Cement (Port Harcourt) *1998 : Shooting Stars FC (Ibadan) *1999 : Lobi Stars (Makurdi) *2000 : Julius Berger (Lagos) *2001 : Enyimba (Aba) *2002 : Enyimba (Aba) *2003 : Enyimba (Aba) *2004 : Dolphins FC (Port Harcourt) *2005 : Enyimba (Aba) *2006 : Ocean Boys FC (Brass) *2007 : Enyimba (Aba) *2008 : Kano Pillars F.C. (Kano) *2009 : Bayelsa United (Yenegoa) *2010 : Enyimba (Aba) *2011 : Dolphin (Port Harcourt) *2012 : Kano Pillars (Kano) *2013 : Kano Pillars (Kano) *2014 : Kano Pillars (Kano) *2015 : Enyimba (Aba) *2016 : Rangers International (Enugu) Topscorers External links *Official Site *RSSSF competition history Category:Leagues Category:Competitions Category:Nigeria Premier League